The present invention relates to a firefighter's tool, and more particularly to a combination firefighter's tool capable of performing the functions of a spanner wrench, a hammer, crowbar, prying implement, and a tool for removing hinge pins from doors.
Firefighters are often confronted with unpredictable situations which heretofore would require several different tools. Firefighters are commonly faced with the problem of gaining entry into burning buildings or burning vehicles such as cars and trucks. Gaining entry into buildings often requires a prying action to dislodge members from doorways and windows. A hammering action is also required for breaking out windows to gain entry. Gaining entry into locked automobile trunks and passenger compartments requires a tool first to dislodge the lock cylinder with subsequent turning to open the lock. Futhermore, when a solid door in a building is encountered, removal of the hinge pins is often the most effective way of opening such a door. After entering a building, it is often necessary to turn off the gas supply to appliances.
In addition to the variety of firefighter's tools needed for gaining entry into buildings and motor vehicles, firefighters use spanner wrenches for coupling and uncoupling hoses. Spanner wrenches generally have an arcuate portion with projections which fit into notches in the hose couplings. A common spanner wrench is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,420,458. Other spanner wrenches are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,627,435 and 2,360,163. U.S. Pat. No. 297,838 discloses a combined household implement for opening jars and including a hammer and claw portion for driving and pulling tacks. None of the known tools, however, allows a firefighter to gain entry into buildings and cars requiring a prying action, or the removal of door hinge pins, while at the same time incorporating a spanner wrench for coupling and decoupling hoses.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a combination firefighter's tool which includes a spanner wrench portion, members for prying and apparatus for removing hinge pins.
Yet another object of the invention is a combination tool including diverging claw members suitable for turning off gas valves.
Still another object of the invention is a combination tool which is compact and well balanced for the hammering, prying and spanner wrench operations.